1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to storage systems for fishing tackle. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved system for storing fishing lures which holds multiple fishing lures in a convenient, safe manner that both protects the lures and the user, and prevents lures from becoming tangled, rusted, or from catching on other objects and users.
2. State of the Art
Safe, convenient, and organized storage of fishing tackle can be a headache for fishermen. Hooks and lures tend constantly to become tangled and disorganized, and if not stored properly can be somewhat hazardous. Moreover, if stored loosely in tackle boxes, or singly in individual cases, they can become rusted due to water which is frequently present in those containers. It is also inconvenient to carry several lures on one's person while stream fishing or wading.
Many methods and devices have been developed for storing and organizing fishing tackle and related gear. The most common of these are tackle boxes containing several stackable trays which are divided into smaller compartments in which lures and other tackle can be kept. There is generally also a floor area below the trays where larger items are stored. Such boxes are convenient for fishing from boats, but do not lend themselves to fishing on foot because of their weight and awkwardness.
As an improvement over bulky tackle boxes, some devices for storing and organizing fishing tackle comprise wearable devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,241 to Mavrakis discloses a foldable tackle box for wearing on the front of a user, including a plurality of compartments for storing articles, and a shelf with cork or polystyrene foam for holding fish hooks. U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,185 to Love discloses a wrist-mounted lure storage device comprising a wrist band having a layer of pliant material such as neoprene for holding fish hooks which may be driven into it, and a flexible cover which attaches to the storage device with velcro. U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,821 to Young discloses a canvas sheet having a plurality of rows of flaps for containing a plurality of removable plastic envelopes for holding fishing lures. The envelopes are configured to be attached to the clothing of a user for easy access to their contents.
Some fishing lure storage devices are made in booklet form. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,671 to Voight et al. discloses a hinged, light-weight fly box formed of foam material. The interior of the box comprises a series of ridges and depressed grooves for holding flies, being configured to allow the fly hooks to be embedded in the foam material. U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,741 to Hessler et al. discloses a fishing lure container in booklet form comprising soft foam pads of rubber, urethane, or the like, disposed on the inside, into which fishing lure hooks may be stuck.
Still other fishing lure holders are configured to hook and hold a fish hook and an attached piece of fishing line stretched and hooked in some way. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,707 to Crapanzano discloses a portable fishing lure container comprising a lure tray in a hinged outer box which folds into a stand for supporting the tray in an inclined upright position for easy access to the fishing lures. The lures are disposed on the tray by hooking the hook end in a notch formed on one end of the tray, and stretching a leader attached to the non-hook end of the lure through a second notch at the other end of the tray. U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,856 to Born discloses a fishing lure holder comprising a tray having a depressed center portion and designed to hold a fish hook with an attached leader, lure, a length of rubber tubing, and a swivel. The swivel is disposed through one of the holes in the depressed portion of the tray, with the leader extending through the backside. The leader and attached components are then wrapped around corresponding channels on the ends of the tray so that the lure and rubber tubing are disposed in the depressed portion, and the hook is then hooked on the rubber end of the tray. U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,185 to Myers discloses a fishing lure holding device comprising a tray having a plurality of spring-loaded lure eye gripping mechanisms disposed along one edge, and a grid of apertures formed from the opposite edge toward the center of the tray. The eye of a lure is placed in an eye gripping mechanism, and the opposing hook end of the lure is disposed through one of the apertures directly opposite, so as to secure the lure to the tray. Finally, a device called a shelled hook holder, available from many commercial vendors, comprises an elongate tray with a plurality of spring loaded hooks at one end for hooking the looped end of a hook leader, and a plurality of opposing triangular apertures for holding the hook attached to the leader. These are just a few examples of known fishing lure containers.
Unfortunately, these prior art devices have numerous drawbacks. While several of the prior art references mentioned above disclose a fishing lure container in booklet or similar form for shielding lures from contact with the user or other objects, many of these prior art devices only accommodate single pronged hooks, not double or treble hooks. Many of these also prevent drying of the lure after use, creating a risk of corrosion of the lures. All but one of the listed prior art devices do not include or suggest spring biasing means for biasing the hook end of a lure against the non-hook end so as to hold the lure in place, and the one that does include springs uses exposed compression springs which have a tendency to bind. Moreover, many of these devices are not useful for holding fishing lures, but only hooks with leader lines attached, and provide no protection for exposed prongs of multiple prong hooks. Finally, the prior art does not include fishing lure holders which allow one hook of a double hooked lure to be biased against the other.
It would thus be desirable to have a fishing lure storage system having tension spring biasing means for biasing one end of a lure against the other end, so as to hold the lure in place. It would also be desirable to have such a system in booklet form that is small and closeable for easy storage and transport, protects the exposed prongs of multiprong hooks from damage, and protects the user from snagging the hooks on clothing or flesh, but does not prevent wet lures from drying out.